LATERAL DISTRIBUTION OF VEHICULAR LOADS IN A PRESTRESSED CONCRETE BOX-BEAM BRIDGE- WHITE HAVEN BRIDGE

THE FIELD TESTING OF ONE OF FIVE BEAM-SLAB HIGHWAY BRIDGES INCLUDED IN AN INVESTIGATION OF LATERAL DISTRIBUTION OF VEHICULAR LOADS IN PRESTRESSED CONCRETE SPREAD BOX-GIRDER BRIDGES IS DESCRIBED. TWO CROSS-SECTIONS WERE GAGED FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF SURFACE STRAINS AND DEFLECTIONS, AND THE DATA WERE COLLECTED THROUGH USE OF CONTINUOUS RECORDING EQUIPMENT. THE LOAD VEHICLE WAS A 3-AXLE TRUCK LOADED TO SIMULATE THE AASHO HS20-44 DESIGN VEHICLE. THE STRUCTURAL RESPONSE DESCRIBED WAS PRODUCED BY CRAWL RUNS OF THE TEST VEHICLE, TRAVELING ACROSS THE BRIDGE AT 2-3 MPH IN EACH OF FIVE PRESCRIBED LANES. THE PRINCIPAL STUDY OBJECTIVES WERE: (1) TO DEVELOP INFORMATION ON LATERAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE VEHICLE LOADS TO THE GIRDERS, (2) TO COMPARE THE DISTRIBUTION AT TWO DIFFERENT CROSS-SECTIONS, AND (3) TO COMPARE THE EXPERIMENTALLY BASED DISTRIBUTION FACTORS WITH VALUES USED IN THE DESIGN OF THE BRIDGE. RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE EXPERIMENTALLY BASED DISTRIBUTION FACTORS WERE: (1) FOR INTERIOR GIRDERS CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN THE DESIGN VALUE, AND (2) FOR EXTERIOR GIRDERS, SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER THAN THE DESIGN VALUE. THIS BEHAVIOR REFLECTS THE INCREASE IN STIFFNESS OF THE EXTERIOR GIRDERS RESULTING FROM THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE CURB AND PARAPET SECTIONS. THERE WAS NOT A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXPERIMENTALLY DETERMINED DISTRIBUTION FACTORS AT THE TWO GAGED CROSS-SECTIONS. THE RATIOS OF EXPERIMENTAL TO DESIGN VALUES FURTHER INDICATE THAT: (1) FOR INTERIOR GIRDERS, A FACTOR OF THE S/K FORM IS APPROPRIATE, ALTHOUGH K SHOULD BE GREATER THAN THE 5.5 DESIGN VALUE, AND (2) FOR EXTERIOR GIRDERS, THE DESIGN PROCEDURE DOES NOT YIELD RESULTS CONSISTENT WITH ACTUAL BEHAVIOR. /AUTHOR/

• Corporate Authors:

  Lehigh University

  Bethlehem, PA  United States  18015

  Pennsylvania Department of Highways

  400 North Street
  Harrisburg, PA  United States  17120-0095

  Bureau of Public Roads /US

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • GUILFORD, A A
  • VanHorn, D A
• Publication Date: 1968-8

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Axle load force; Beams; Box girders; Bridge design; Bridges; Concrete; Cross sections; Data collection; Deflection; Field tests; Girder bridges; Highway bridges; Load tests; Load transfer; Motion; Motor vehicles; Prestressed concrete; Prestressing; Recording instruments; Strain (Mechanics); Structural analysis; Structural design; Structural mechanics; Surface phenomena
• Uncontrolled Terms: Lateral loads; Moving vehicles; Structural behavior
• Old TRIS Terms: Concrete box girders; Strains
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00207901
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Bureau of Public Roads /US
• Report/Paper Numbers: Hpr-1(5)
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 18 1994 12:00AM